As the Kansas City Chiefs enter preseason Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers, they still have quite a bit to sort out in regards to their roster.
Down to 80 players after the first two waves of cuts, the Chiefs have one more opportunity to evaluate the roster in live game action ahead of the 53-man roster cut date coming on Tuesday, Aug. 30. You may think that things about the roster are set in stone at several positions, but Chiefs HC Andy Reid says the team is still evaluating players and their performances for both starting and depth positions.
“Yeah there’s always that bottom third of your group there that you’re looking at but there’s competition all the way through for starting positions and depth positions,” Reid told reporters on Tuesday. “We keep our eye on all that. I mean we grade these guys every play every day so we’re talking about it and going through it and (General Manager) Brett (Veach) and I get together. He does it with his staff and then he brings it to me and then we get together and talk through it and kind of coaches me up on what he thinks. You know as of today, this is what we’re looking at and we’ll see where it goes from here.”
It’s not just about how players perform in the games and at practice, it’s also about the things they do behind the scenes. Eric Bieniemy often says that when you enter the building there is an imaginary sign on the door that says, “Hiring all applicants.” Every time a player is in the building, they’re being graded. Whether it’s during weight training or team meetings, even their interactions with staff members have an impact.
Another thing that plays a big role in the evaluation process is special teams. The Chiefs could opt to keep a player in a reserve role that is a stronger special teamer.
Dave Toub says he isn’t really able to evaluate guys until the preseason arrives because that’s when they’re first allowed to take live repetitions. So far he’s learned a lot about his new group, but he acknowledged that there is a lot of competition throughout the roster even with the final preseason game at the doorstep.
“I’ve learned a lot right now,” Toub said. “I mean, we have to replace, up to eight guys that are gone. That’s what we’re doing in these preseason games as far as finding guys. Seeing who the best gunners are, seeing who is competing on defense. There’s a lot of competition out there at corner, there is a lot of competition out there at linebacker. There’s still jobs up for grabs, even coming into this game.”
A strong performance against the Packers could be the difference between a roster spot or a spot on the practice squad for several. It could be the difference between a starting job or a depth role for others. It could also make a difference in life after Chiefs football for the players who are released next Tuesday. It puts an increased emphasis on executing at the highest possible level this week as there is a lot on the line for many players on both teams.